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[0:00] Father as we come to your word now open our eyes that we may behold him prepare us for that day when our faith shall be sight prepare us for that day when you said in your word face to face Hallelujah Oh God put this in our hearts that we know we shall behold you may it drive us may it move us may it purify us may your word go forth now to expound on this great topic use your unworthy servant this is way above my head

[1:01] Oh God hear our cry open our eyes to behold wonderful things in your word in Jesus name Amen Amen For sake of time just to remind you of our text itself you've heard all the other beatitudes let me just remind you of our passage this morning blessed Matthew 5a blessed are the pure in heart for they shall emphasis they shall see God that is the word of the Lord please be seated thank you guys thank you so much there is a story told of a little boy who struggled with the idea that God is invisible you understand that

[2:08] I'm sure the the pagan nations that surrounded the children of Israel in the Old Testament thought it was a joke that they worshipped an invisible God the Romans under just during the time of Christ himself they thought they they tolerated the Jews because they had been a help to the empire but they tolerated the Jews but they thought they were wacky too they serve an invisible God so you know what this little boy is feeling how could he worship and serve a God he could not see now he had heard the saying that all of you have heard before too out of sight out of mind sometimes that's how we live sometimes as Christians we are functional atheists we live as if God is not there because we don't see him this little boy is really confused he's frustrated this crazy theology of an invisible God so he cried out to his mom and dad

[3:18] I want a God with skin on him yeah he wants to see God can you blame him he wants a God with skin on and that is what we long for as believers a God we can see isn't it good to know that this great blessing has been done for us God has done what we long for in his son the Lord Jesus he put skin on do you long to see him do you long to see God not just out of curiosity because you saw a few movies and you want us just curious what God might look like but do you long to see

[4:19] God because of what God has done for you in Jesus through Jesus for Jesus you see the pure in heart long for and pursue the vision of God that vision of God so do you do you long to see God we've been looking at this passage now our third week like I said it was kind of blew up on me a little bit and we've been talking about last remember last week we talked about the fact that as we pursue purity we must do so according to the word of God we talked about the fact that God in Christ has made us pure in Christ we stand before God in total purity but in our practice we got work to do and so and so those who have been purified by the blood of

[5:28] Jesus and stand before the Father in Christ's righteousness as if we've never sinned now those who've experienced that blessing now desire to purify their lives of everything they want to be pure in heart in mind and soul they want to have with purity undivided devotion to the Lord they want to be pure not just in outwardly but inwardly pure in their heart in the center of their being in their emotions in their ambitions in their intellect in their emotions in their thoughts they want to be pure inside as well as outside they hunger and thirst for righteousness beatitude you see the pure in heart live the other beatitudes we come to God recognizing we're not pure in heart so we mourn over our sin we recognize that we're poor in spirit and we mourn over the fact that we're not pure in our practice and we long to be what we are not in practice we long to be what we are in position before the

[6:38] Lord and so we give ourselves to the word of God that word which does its work because it is the word of God and as we give ourselves to Lord have thy way may your word live in me I want to follow Jesus and as we walk with him the word of God does his work of purifying our lives God points his finger onto things in our lives that says no that's not like me we repent it's an ongoing process all through our lives and as you get more and more grown up in Jesus as it were God begins to show you things that you didn't see before attitudes actions you begin to say oh Lord have mercy and he does the purifying process continues because the word of

[7:41] God would not leave us alone but now we come to the whole point what does it mean to see God that's our destiny but first of all seeing God is our present reality seeing God is twofold we certainly see God in the future but we also see God now last week we talked about really as we looked at the word we talked about really seeing God in his word I mean that's where you go right if I want to see God if I want to see his that's when Moses asked to see the face of God in Exodus God said no man can see my face and live Moses you're still a sinner Moses you can't take this so God allowed Moses to see his back and what he did was he proclaimed his name the Lord the Lord merciful and kind he revealed his character you see that's how we see

[8:52] God the word of God reveals his character it reveals what he is like it also reveals what he has done can I just give you one example I just I just have to I mean forgive me but just one example that blows my mind it's not on the board so you're going to turn there if you got a Bible Hosea chapter 11 this hit me the other day when I was just thinking about this some more and a way that we see God in his word that is so tender now keep in mind the book Hosea God is telling Israel the northern kingdom that you are my bride and I am your husband but the problem is you unfaithful you cheating on me you running behind my back with other gods now listen to this God is God is Hosea chapter 11 starting at verse 3 he says yet it was I who taught

[9:53] Ephraim that's number name for Israel to walk I took them by their arms they did not know that I healed them I led them with cords of kindness with bands of love and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws and I bent down to them and fed them they shall not return to the land of Egypt but Assyria shall be their king because they refused to return to me the sword shall rage against their cities this is God's judgment consume the bars of their gates and devour them because of their own counsels he says my this is God his heart is bleeding my people have bent on turning away from me and though they call out to the most high he will not raise them up at all but then he says how can I give you up oh Ephraim how can I hand you over oh Israel how can

[10:54] I make you like Adma how can I treat you like Zebulun my heart recoils within me my compassion grows warm and tender I will not execute my burning anger I will not again destroy Ephraim for I am God and not a man the holy one in your midst and I will not come in wrath do you feel it God is looking at his wayward people they have turned he says you've turned against me you're going to get in trouble the series are coming they're going to hurt you but then he says but I can't give you up I can't let you go I love you so much my heart I can't let you go I will not do all of my anger I will not destroy you because even though you are unfaithful woman I won't say what

[11:58] I'm thinking but you use your imagination but I can't let you go do you see how the word of God reveals the tender heart of God toward his people even when we sin against him even when we're unfaithful his tenderness that's why you gotta read the Bible y'all it shows us God and we need to see him second thing we notice about seeing God is right now we see God in creation this is easy you know this we see his glory in all that he has made and we worship him for it creation we realize it's no accident we're not we don't fall for the molecules to man theory the you know the something exploded and then we got everything we don't fall for that kind of theory we recognize that God created everything that we see and don't see he did it in theology we call this natural revelation

[13:06] God reveals himself the heavens declare the glory of God the heavens we see him Psalm 19 the beginning of that first half of that the heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork God is the ultimate artist the reason you are an artist is because God is an artist first God is the ultimate chef I call him and boy he can cook cooked up everything drew it out planned it all himself with no help from you or me when you look up what do you see the handiwork the genius and the majesty of God trees outside something as simple as a tree I love palm trees

[14:07] Miami did a thing on me y'all forgive me and there's so many different types of palm tree every Christmas I would go out and dance around my palm tree in my pajamas I'm serious I did I make sure the woman was looking first Billy and Sherry I didn't but I would go outside and go right around my I had this pigmy palm that I planted myself I would dance around that bad boy and go back in the house I look at palm trees I see the majesty of God God now listen creation is not God but creation is made by God and therefore discloses his majesty and glory Romans 1 says it as well Romans 1 Paul says it's just on the screen for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth not a very good beginning but stay with me for what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them for his invisible attributes namely his eternal power and divine nature he exists have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world and how is it and the things that have been made so they that's all of humanity that's everyone are without excuse the heavens shout of the existence of a creator the sun and stars and distant galaxies as well as the planets yell at us that they are not accidents but the handiwork of divine intelligence and power they display his majesty all of creation the Tennessee river the earth the mountains look out and signal though I call them hills having been to Pikes when I went to Pikes Peak

[16:17] I think of them as hills now anyway mountains animals of the land insects but especially look around the room each one of you declares the glory of God because you are made in the image of God Paul puts it this way I love how he puts it his invisible attributes namely his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived natural revelation again my pastor put it this way it was really helpful I'm going to give it to you Dr. Boyce said natural revelation doesn't give us specifics about

[17:18] God's character and what we need to know to be saved yet though limited it is extensive and overwhelming in its force you hear that though limited it is still extensive creation and overwhelming in its force it consists of two elements God's eternal power and second God's divine nature the second means quite simply that there is a God in other words people have no excuse for being atheists the first means that God whom we know exists is all powerful God who exists is a supreme being not only has God given evidence for his existence he has also given us the capacity to comprehend or receive it though we refuse to do so there is enough evidence of God and a flower to lead a child as well as a scientist to worship him but people will not do this they reject the revelation and substitute nature itself or parts of nature for God and thereby find their hearts increasingly darkened why do you see it why do you see the glory of God in creation it is only fully embraced by those whom God has made alive spiritually only by those whom the spirit of

[18:46] God has come upon them and they are born again only they can really see creation as is meant to be seen declaring the majesty and existence and the power of the living God without that we are like so many who would go on denying his reality and as the bible says suppressing the truth in our unrighteousness even though the signs are there even though the signs are there of creation being so specific so specific the tilt of the earth is on just the right angle if it was different if it was different our seasons would be destroyed we wouldn't be able to have life on this planet the moon is just the right distance just the right distance from the earth perfectly if it was closer or further the tides would wipe us all out we'd be under water too much specificity in creation for us for us to truly deny that God exists but we do but when you see his glory everywhere it causes you joy and awe and you are transformed by that encounter with God in his creation but hey most importantly though creation is good creation is good amen but most importantly we see

[20:27] God in Christ now now we see God in Jesus true we don't see him as clearly as we will because of the frailty of our humanity and sin yet we do see him I'm reminded with Jesus is with his disciples near the end of his ministry in the book of John chapter 14 he's talking about the father and Philip I love Philip Philip says listen just show us the father you keep talking about the father you keep bringing up the father you seem to know the father look just show us the father and that will be enough he says amen and Jesus says whoever has seen me has seen the father whoever looks at the life works death and resurrection and ascension of

[21:31] Jesus believing in him will see God again we reminded of John 1 this is not on the screen either I don't think part of it is John 1 1 and 1 14 you know 1 1 in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God but don't forget verse 14 not on your screen but verse 14 says and the word and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory glory as of the only son from the father full of grace and truth the word that that being who is equal with God yet yet yet yet not distinct from God is God and that word listen not the father but the son became flesh St.

[22:25] C. Ferguson helps me out here he's talking about what's called the beatific vision he says the beauty of what John says here is that the son who was face to face with the father has now become face to face with us so we see in the son's face the reflection of the beauty glory and marvel of God's being the son the word was face to face with the father for all eternity and the word the son eternal son takes on humanity so he can get right in your grill he's right here now even more he's in here but he's he became one of us so that we can look at him and see God clearly beautifully now I gotta take it to another passage because it gets even more beautifully said than

[23:30] St. Clair Ferguson said it 2 Corinthians chapter 4 this is one of my favorite passages 2 Corinthians chapter 4 3 to 6 Paul is speaking speaking of unbelievers in their case the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing what the light of the gospel of the glory of God who is the image of God glory of Christ who is the image of God for what we proclaim is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord with ourselves as your servants for Jesus sake for God who said let light shine out of darkness has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ I love those phrases the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God the the the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus

[24:40] Christ that comes through the gospel the good news this is what the gospel is is a message of the light of the knowledge of the glory of God light understanding illumination of the glory of God in the very face of Jesus so the message of the kingdom is about the glory of God in Jesus what is the chief end of man what is the purpose for humanity to glorify God and enjoy him forever to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus to bask in that glory and to find joy eternal joy in him but the pastor says this that the devil keeps unbelievers from seeing this glory that's his work to blind people because he knows if you see the glory you will turn from the darkness to the light if you see the glory of

[26:00] Jesus you will leave the kingdom of darkness you won't think the world has everything you need you will realize there's something more important you won't be a slave to your desires you won't be a slave to materialism you will find that there's something more important something more convincing something more beautiful something that takes over you'll see the glory of Jesus and God is saying here that he who created light in the beginning of creation makes a second creation that second creation that light it frustrates the devil because the God of heaven pours out his spirit causing us to see the glory of God in Jesus that's the new creation that's what it means to be born again that's when the Bible and Paul says you are a new creation in

[27:01] Christ that's what he's talking about the light has come and it's all in your being you explode with the reality of God's glory in Jesus you see God now if you don't you're not walking with Jesus you're not if you don't see the majesty of God in Christ now if you're not blown away to worship him if your heart is not more and more being drawn to him his word and his ways you're not walking with him you don't know him but you can but you can even today the spirit gives us understanding and opens our spiritual eyes we didn't get it at first but now we do now we look at

[28:05] Jesus and we see it but it's not just your conversion he's talking about it's an ongoing present reality that is transforming you if you were to stay in that passage and move up back over to chapter 3 verses 12 through 18 you're in a section this is just before we just read you're in a section here where Paul is comparing the old covenant represented by Moses and the law the law giver with the glory of the new covenant in Jesus okay he's making a comparison now hold on here we go our text since we have such hope we are very bold not like Moses who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end brought to an end but their minds were hardened for to this day when they read the old covenant that same veil remains unlifted because only through

[29:09] Christ is it taken away yes to this day he's talking about today too whatever Moses is read as a veil lies over Jewish people's hearts but when one turns to the Lord the veil is removed now the Lord is the Spirit and what the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom and we all Christians we all with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed into that same image from one degree of glory to another for this comes from the Lord thank you who is the Spirit the old what would happen Moses would go to meet with God in the temple of meeting the tent he would go in there and meet with God face to face as it were and being in the presence of

[30:13] God's glory his face would begin to shine with God's glorious presence he would come out of the tent and the people would go what is that so Moses put a veil on his face for two reasons one to keep from spooking the people out but Paul says for another reason more important the glory would diminish and disappear it would wear off and most go back into the tent and get more glory and come back out Paul is saying the old covenant is fading glory important word of God but his glory is fading when now he says we are looking with no veil into the new covenant in Jesus and we're seeing the glory of God again but this time it doesn't fade now we're not like bugs walking around like that but no in our character we are being made into the image of

[31:29] Christ that's the glory shining through us now his character his heart his actions even are being manifest in you as you continue to stare into the reality and the face of Jesus as you open the new testament and the whole word of God he's everywhere by the way old and new you can see him now and as you continue to stare at Jesus you can't be the same as you continue to that's why when you find a Christian who's been walking with Jesus for 40 and 50 years you can't even believe they were ever a sinner it's hard you meet some of them I mean we got some in our church they're messed up we know that but I'm just saying you see such you see the grace of God and the love of God in them and you are just like wow

[32:35] I want to be like that why they're being transformed they're just further along than you they're not better they're just further along walk with Jesus for 40 or 50 years for real you people be saying the same thing about you but is it because you're wonderful it's because what you're looking at is overwhelming who you are looking at it just you just it just it just he imprints on you we see God now in the face of Christ Jesus and when we see him we begin to reflect him the problem is family we don't stare at Jesus long enough we stare at the TV if you're like me I'm binging on stuff all the time here and there but we don't stare at

[33:39] Jesus it's it's beholding Jesus it's open the word and seeing how he fulfills the Old Testament seeing Jesus touching the lepers the people the people that no one else would touch Jesus touches them Jesus coming to someone who is full of demons and behaving in a way we would call very we would see them as needing psychiatric care and yet Jesus comes and heals their minds and their hearts and they're fine again Jesus who comes to people who are not the respectable people in the community they're not the people you might want to hang around with the tax collectors and the women of ill repute and Jesus comes and you see him putting his arms around them that has an effect on you because you recognize you're one of them too there's nothing in you poverty of spirit nothing in you that would have made

[34:49] Jesus want to save you and you recognize holy smoke he really does love me and you behold him and you see this grin on his face where he looks at you some of you think God is frowning at you if you're not walking with Jesus he is because you're not his but that can change when you give yourself to Christ because Christ takes hold of you all God does is smile at his children even when he spanks us he's still smiling he'll never stop smiling at you the face of God is a smiling face to his children just like you are with your own children you love them even when they mess up your arms are still like this you blew it yeah what you did was stupid yep come to daddy my girls if they anyone you know they're all adults now if they mess up

[35:59] I'm still standing there come on come on now let's let's get back on track let's not stay there let's get back on track come on y'all I'm almost done my voice is about to go anyway thank you for the water somebody brought me water don't remember what it was thank you but this is only preparation because we shall see God fully in the future this is preparation we shall experience the beatific vision that's what theologians call R.C.

[36:45] Sproul talks about this the beatific vision is so called because it is the promise of the vision of God that carries with it the ultimate blessedness of the human soul the ultimate blessing the ultimate place of blessing that we are destined for is to be face to face with the living God in the new heavens and new earth that is the ultimate blessing everything else is leading up to it we're in this world amen we're gonna be disembodied spirits until Jesus comes in heaven amen we're not done yet God will not leave us to be Casper floating around on a cloud that's that's that's fiction God is determined to bring us back to a new heavens and new earth with a new body with new senses with no sin and when that happens we will see God as Revelation chapter 22 says we will see God then the angel showed me the river of water of the water of life bright as crystal flowing from the throne of God and of the

[37:54] Lamb through the middle of the street of the city this is the new Jerusalem also on either side of the street of the river is back the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding its fruit each month the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations no longer will there be anything accursed but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it and his servants will worship him they will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads night will be no more they will need no light or lamp or sun for the Lord God will be their light and they will reign forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever amen that's where I'm going I don't know where you going but that's where I'm going face Moses could not see his face but in the new heavens and new earth where all sin is eradicated from your very being and from the world itself and all of creation we will see his face

[39:06]  I don't even know what that means but it's going to be good oh my goodness we shall see his face we shall behold him we shall behold him and even now hungering for that very thing we will purify ourselves because we are heading for that place of total purity because we know this we do what the bible says we will purify first second corinthians seven we will purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of god are you longing for his coming are you longing to see him if you are you can't be the same if you are you can't take sin into your into your lap into your arms and not be burned you you want to run from that which is not like god you want to you want to you want anything that's not like god out of your mind out of your mouth and out of your heart you come to him and you ask him to do it because you can't purify yourself only he can do it and he will more and more you don't be perfect in this life don't get that crazy hallelujah but you can be but we can grow and we can see jesus manifest in us can I just see last thing if as we're growing in jesus there's one more place where you see him right here right here in the fellowship of the saints that's why we need each other we see the face of god the face of christ as you and i together follow him you display you display his giving you display his kindness you you display his ability to listen and care we display the ability to forgive one another you see that's jesus y'all the fruit of the spirit is being manifest in us when i look at you though you are flawed if you are walking with christ i get a glimpse you know what happens you know what distorts your vision stuff in front of your face i can't see you guys right now this tiny little phone compared to this room and i can't see you all because sometimes we let things get in our face that keep us from seeing the glory of god where we need to see the glory of god you see too many christians allow the sins of people in the church to do this and all we do is complain about the church and how it's not this and it's not that and and we don't recognize we're part of the problem but anyway um it all if you if all you got is complaints about your church whether it's this one or the other or wherever you're from it's because you're not seeing the glory of jesus when i see the glory of jesus i can forgive you i can we can walk together but as long as i'm doing this with your sins you'll never be good enough your programming won't be good enough your children's mission won't be good enough because it's all for me anyway nothing will be good enough too many of us do that what are you allowing to just to color and hinder you from seeing the glory of god where it belongs in christ in his word and his people father may your word find us may you go may your spirit transform us oh make us in purity of heart those who pursue you and see you give us eyes to see and may the enemy be put to flight forgive us for allowing sins of our brothers and sisters or even things we think are sin from blinding us to seeing your glory in the kindness and love of your people may we grow in the image of Christ in Christ your son amen amen amen